Archive for the ‘Media Matters’ Category

« Older Entries

The elephant in the ‘breakfast’ room

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

This week saw the launch of the Government’s first ever national campaign to raise awareness of the signs of bowel cancer. ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ encourages those with persistent symptoms to present promptly to catch the tumour earlier, with an ultimate aim of improving survival rates across the UK.

In spite of the condition being the third most common cancer across the country, to date there’s been clear reluctance to focus the public spotlight on it. Be Clear on Cancer has of course been backed by leading charities, such as Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK, both of which provide exceptional ongoing support to patients and their families.

The launch of the initiative has received extensive press interest but the way in which it’s been welcomed by the media is somewhat ironic. Despite the whole point of the campaign being to raise awareness of the symptoms of the condition, it seems a proportion of editors have shied away from the nitty gritty ‘below-the-belt’ symptoms and left key campaign messages out of their reporting. We do appreciate it’s not exactly what you want to hear blaring out of the radio during your morning ablutions or digest while eating your bowl of cornflakes. However the media are such a powerful communications vehicle, and in this day and age there must be a more palatable way in which to educate the public via these still important traditional routes so that we can talk more frankly and hinder the number of cases soaring?

There’s a raft of disease areas where Pharma, healthcare professionals and charities can really collaborate with the media and work together on the best means to communicate to the masses/stimulate discussion that suffer the same taboo, and each deserve the appropriate air time!

In the meantime, on behalf of all those supporting #BeClearOnCancer, the initial symptoms of bowel cancer include:

  • blood in your stools
  • a change to your normal bowel habits that persists for more than six weeks
  • abdominal pain and/or unexplained weight loss

Embarrassed? Uncomfortable? You shouldn’t be.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Conversations, Media Matters | No Comments »

2012: What changes can we expect in the NHS?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Like a late Christmas present, this week the NHS Future Forum published its report with recommendations on four key issues within the NHS: integration, public health, information and education. Most striking was the proposal that HCPs should make ‘every contact count’ by questioning patient lifestyle choices at every opportunity.

The Government’s response has been to fully accept the report’s suggestions, as many tie in with the general programme of reforms set out in the Health and Social Care Bill. However, much like many of the proposals we saw outlined in the Bill and put into practice over the past year, other groups have been less enthusiastic. For example, Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, has voiced concerns at the lack of evidence base for public health proposals, and that questioning patients at every opportunity may even be detrimental to the patient/physician relationship.

This is the first report of what will likely be many throughout 2012 both supporting reform and condemning it in equal measure. But what changes within the NHS can be expected in the coming year? Here are a few points that the Virgo HEALTH team will be looking out for…

First and foremost, the Health and Social Care Bill will receive Royal Assent, with most proposals likely to be still intact. Even so, there are lingering questions over Andrew Lansley’s position within the Cabinet. Will he continue to serve as Secretary of State into 2013? In all likelihood, yes – but nothing is certain.
As the Government progresses with the reforms throughout 2012, we will see the further dismantlement of current NHS structures and consolidation of new bodies such as the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups in their place. However, there will continue to be plenty of debate over the composition and size of these groups, and the role traditional commissioners from PCT and SHA backgrounds can play in them. 2012 should therefore provide more answers as to the future these managers have within the new NHS.

The DH published figures at the end of December confirming that it was on track to deliver the savings required for the year 2011/12 as set out in the Budget, recording savings of £2.5 billion in the first 6 months of the efficiency challenge. Many argue that the easy cuts have been already been made, and that the NHS will be facing an increasingly difficult challenge to try and find further savings. We will see whether the figure of £6 billion for the year is achieved in the summer, and towards the end of the year, whether it is still on track to hit its final target.

Finally, ‘no decision about me, without me’ as an underpinning principle behind the reforms will begin to come to the fore. Can we expect to see patients taking more interest in their care, as more choice is provided, and information becomes available? Andrew Lansley has stated this week that ‘blacklisting’ of NHS drugs needs to be ended to stop the current ‘postcode lottery’, but also to avoid the threat of legal action from patients who know their rights.

We are sure you will be following developments in the NHS like us, during a year which will undoubtedly be crucial for the success of the reforms and economic future of the NHS.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Conversations, Media Matters | No Comments »

A new Foundation for Journalism?

Friday, December 9th, 2011

It is safe to say that journalism, and the people who practice it, have never been held under more scrutiny than at the present time. With the Leveson Inquiry in full swing, it’s easy to understand the rapid way in which public opinion has been shaped by the ongoing and clearly emotive accounts from the Dowler family, or Gerry and Kate McCann, explaining how they have “suffered at the hands of the British press”.

The remedy? Step forward Simon Kelner, former editor of The Independent and now chief executive of the Journalism Foundation. The Foundation, which launched this week, was borne out of discussions between Kelner and his immediate boss, Evengy Lebedev (who along with his father, Alexander Lebedev, are financial backers of the organisation). The Journalism Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at supporting “free, fair and independent journalism” on a global basis.

The initial result from the foundation is the launch of two initiatives to show the scope of its work. The first involves practical training courses for journalists in Tunisia, teaching local journalists how to report in a free and open society. The second sees the Journalism Foundation supporting a local website in Stoke-on-Trent, in an attempt to increase interest in local politics and demonstrate how journalism can be built up from the grassroots through digital media.

Sir Max Hastings, former Daily Telegraph editor, has commented: “This is a time when bad and corrupt journalism is receiving extraordinary exposure in Britain, which makes the promotion of good, brave and campaigning journalism all the more important”. However, from a critical perspective, it’s hard not to ponder how much of an impact the Foundation will really have on public perception of the media in the short term. In our opinion, it is rather premature to be pushing for positive promotion of the media, before the root of corrupt journalism has yet to be completely resolved. Only time will tell…

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Conversations, Media Matters | No Comments »

Pharma leading the way in regulations?

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

There is little doubt that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most tightly regulated industries. Quite rightly the regulations are there to protect patients and ensure efficacious and thoroughly tested products are developed and brought to market but now pharma companies face new challenges around transparency and building trust. The US is already preparing for the Sunshine Act, which comes into effect in 2013 and will ensure companies disclose interactions and payments to healthcare practitioners. Similarly, the UK has seen the revised UK Bribery Act which came into force in April 2011. Despite the legislation and increased regulatory enforcement designed to prevent corruption and bribery and transform the image of pharma, the perception of the industry remains less than positive.

Other industries that have recently come under similar scrutiny include the media and financial sectors. The current Leveson inquiry is examining journalistic practice and story sourcing and the roles of the media and police in the wake of the phone hacking scandal. The inquiry hopes to investigate the nature of contacts between the press and politicians and the press and the police. It is certainly clear that the regulatory regime for media conduct has fallen short at times but the extent of this failure is yet to be fully determined.

Whilst questions abound of the extent and scope of independent Vs self regulation, the pharma industry is forging ahead with clear and transparent practices and ethics set out and robust frameworks for interactions with healthcare professionals, leading experts and government officials put in place. With the ethics of the British media and financial worlds currently under question, it may be time for other industries to step up to the mark pharma has set?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Conversations, Media Matters | No Comments »

With newspapers embracing the social web, are the days of ‘behind the scenes’ PR over?

Friday, September 16th, 2011

The newspaper is evolving. Rapidly. The age old institution is changing its ways and yes, we PRs must ensure we’re keeping up.

The trend of newspapers building up their online comment and blogging platforms is growing and there are no signs of this slowing down. Just this week the Mail Online launched ’Right Minds’ – it’s very own online blogging space, much like ‘Comment is Free’ from The Guardian site. Not only does Right Minds feature online-only comment from its regular journalists such as Melanie Phillips and Richard Littlejohn, but it provides links to outside bloggers such as Guido Fawkes, Politico and Conservative Home. Readers are urged to join in live debates and vote in polls. Next week, the free London newspaper, City AM, is about to launch its own version called ‘The Forum’, as media don Roy Greenslade reports. So the boundaries between journalism and readers are falling, with greater interaction between the two. This will allow newspapers to know their audiences better and be more accountable for what they write about, which over time could substantially change the nature of newspaper reporting itself.

But what does this mean for PR and communications? The trend of newspapers evolving their basic operation from print to online is full of opportunities. With an initial article becoming the platform of debate, potentially involving a whole pool of specialists and experts, emphasis will shift from the individual journalist and media outlet to the wider discourse on a subject. And in turn, the role of communications will be less and less ‘behind the scenes’ but increasingly public, transparent and open.

Tags: ,
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

What India’s thriving media industry could mean for the West

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Earlier this week Radio 4’s increasingly popular Today Programme investigated the thriving media industry in India. While newspapers in the UK and US are making cuts left, right and centre, India is working hard to satisfy the appetites of increasing numbers of newspaper readers across the country. Whilst one in every five papers in the world is published in India, quality journalism is not the only condition that makes this possible…

Firstly, online competition is weak. Whilst most people in the West now access news online, the number of people accessing the internet in India is comparatively low. Since newspapers are much cheaper in India relative to their cost in the West, they are also more affordable for many people. Finally, literacy is on the increase (again, contrasting to the worryingly low levels of literacy in the UK).

The differing environments between India and the West mean there are few lessons for UK media to learn from this in terms of boosting readership. But international development could mean that in time, the ‘sleeping giants’ of this world will have the strongest and most influential media worldwide. This is because:
  • Newspaper organisations in countries like India have a head start. Years of experience in the West has created a real confidence in publishers who know what their readers want (such as highly regionalised editions, even down to the dialect used) and how to make profits.
  • Digital media will be better understood and more profitable by the time the internet becomes ubiquitous in countries like India and China (or at least will become more accessible for millions more people). So experiments such as the News International paywalls and tailored content for mobile devices will have had time to prove themselves one way or another and the knowledge from this will mean that big online media operations in developing countries will be built on sound understandings of newer, different business models. After all, we are still finding our feet with these new technologies in the West
Whilst it may be a long way off before we see any major impact in the West from the these far flung media , it is a global world and the ripple effect of a drop in the pond somewhere else could be substantial. The ownership of flagship titles is likely to change (we already have a Russian oligarch owning several of the UK’s most influential newspapers) and if media power-houses such as Murdoch’s News International change significantly – or even collapse altogether – the balance of power could be tipped massively in a very short space of time, with ramifications wide and far.

Tags:
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

Just how will this end? Some views on possible #phonehacking scandal outcomes…

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

All these mind boggling revelations can make your head spin. In the last few days the following shockers have been revealed… 

 But what are the experts in the media world predicting for the future of News International?

  • The News of the World will be swiftly replaced by The Sun on Sunday . This is pretty likely given that the internet domain name has just been snapped up
  • Rupert Murdoch will sell News International entirely. At worst this could mean the closure of more of Britain’s most well established newspapers, although at the very least would involve significant tremors affecting the structure and make-up of these titles. While The Times, Sunday Times and The Sun do not make News Corp a great deal of money compared to their other ventures worldwide, selling them off seems unlikely not least because it would be hugely out of character for Rupert Murdoch
  • James Murdoch will resign from News International. In today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron has already strongly stated that if executives are found to have broken the law, they should not be allowed to run media companies. This could mean Rebekah Brooks goes too, but this is the last thing Rupert Murdoch wants. As Reuters’ Felix Salmon writes, News Corp wants her on the inside, working for them, rather than on the outside, turning witness against them
  • Several police officials will be removed from post or demoted at least. Cameron has been clear that he is watching the police response to the inquiry closely, saying today that at the home affairs committee last week they gave a “mixed” performance 

 Whatever happens, the ramifications are big for the UK media industry (fewer scoops? Tamer papers?), the shape and feel of newspapers (changing newspaper titles and editorial teams and agendas) and for News Corp specifically (at the time of writing they have just pulled out of taking over BSkyB. What comes next?)

 The answers won’t all be coming soon, but things are moving so quickly that even bigger announcements could be made at any time…

Tags: ,
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

Media training tip #687: Sometimes it’s okay to go silent in an interview

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

This is not the latest trendy interview technique. Nor is it something that anyone running media training should encourage would-be interviewees to take up. After all, not acknowledging the question asked is a cardinal sin, isn’t it? It makes you look guilty of something, as if the reason you don’t want to talk about it is that you actually have something to hide. But this week the rules were thrown out of the window and a refusal to answer questions was actually a good thing.

Graham Linehan, the comedy writer most known for Father Ted and the IT Crowd, had been asked to appear on the Radio 4 Today Programme to speak about his adaptation of classic movie The Ladykillers on the stage. Since he was asked to go on the show to talk about the play, he was somewhat put out when presenter Justin Webb began attacking his decision to transfer the film to the theatre and went completely silent. After the event, he blogged: “What a treat it was to be able to complain directly to Today’s pompous John Humphries’ stand-in about the squabbling that passes for debate on that program [sic]… What the host didn’t realise is that because I’m not a politician, like the fellow I saw in the green room preparing his lines with an aide, I didn’t have to be held hostage to their artificial reductive, harmful format.”

The Today Programme apologised. So it’s tempting to think Linehan won (although he’d probably take you to task for thinking along such simplistic lines, perhaps quite rightly). However, we do not recommend giving the cold shoulder in interviews. Just look at how bad US Governor Jan Brewer looked when she refused to address questions from the media about her ill-founded claims about crime in the state…

Tags: ,
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

What happens online stays online? How newspapers follow the social media agenda more than ever before

Friday, May 13th, 2011

This press man has just realised that all his journalist buddies have moved on from pencil scrawls on notepads to Twitter feeds on iPads. While his buddies all secretly miss the matching suit and hat combo, they have moved on and our guy has been left behind.

Indeed, 70% of journalists now use social networks to assist reporting compared to 41% the year before (no statistic on hats was available at the time of writing however). This sea change, cited in Appature’s tidy little ‘Twitter in Healthcare’ infogram, is not too surprising, but besides journalists using Twitter to keep up to date with the big breaking news stories, what else does social media offer journalists and where is it all heading?

Super-injunctions are a good place to start – they show just how more ‘free’ online information is when compared to professional media organisations. The Times boldly attacked injunctions by printing the story they intended to write with blacked out text where the information regarding the celebrity involved would be.

None of this has stopped online reporting, largely through Twitter and other social media channels, outing those who have paid for their privacy through these expensive court orders. If you want to find out whodunit just have a look online @InjunctionSuper.

This is a very literal example of how the relationship between traditional media and online has reversed. Rather than big media organisations setting the news agenda on which online discourse focuses, they now report largely on a story that breaks online.

Even in the most old fashioned of editorial conferences and newsrooms, there is a growing understanding that these online interactions have changed. And the social networks they are increasingly exploring and experimenting with are keen to help.

The official Twitter Media blog highlights how TV stations are increasingly using Twitter to poll sentiment about a news story while they broadcast, for example by comparing the number of people adding #GoRoyals or #NoRoyals to their tweets. Newspapers are also printing some of their favourite tweets, such as my beloved local South London Press producing a column with the most amusing and thought provoking messages from local people (although they’re not quite as good as some of their headlines…)

This is all well and good but there still seems to be some significant reluctance by some organisations to get on board the social media rollercoaster as the infogram below shows, from Will Sturgeon’s Media Blog. While Sky News and the BBC have policies in place for their journalists to use Twitter on an individual basis, most newspapers are doing little to speak directly with their audiences in this way. So does this mean they are even more likely to be following the agenda set by online outlets and channels?

At the end of the day, it is individual journalists that are taking the lead with online journalism and this is where anyone working in media relations should focus their efforts. Big organisations are not often well equipped to implement major institutional and cultural change – and this includes media organisations’ social media practices. The most immediate thing happening now is that journalists are using Twitter off their own back to get good stories in the paper. So if you want to get a newspaper’s attention about something, getting to know what conversations these guys are having is not a bad place to start.

Tags: ,
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

How social media is changing the celebrity media landscape

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

There is no denying that we all enjoy a voyeuristic ogle at the latest A list (and B list) celebrities – I for one lap up every word about what they eat, wear and where they holiday. But Marketing Magazine has argued that perhaps our love affair with celebrities and reality TV stars is fading with several of the key celebrity weekly media titles announcing a decline in readers over the last year. Magazines such as Heat, Now and OK! have all reported year-on-year falls in circulation and though they may not be experiencing catastrophic decreases at present, there is a fear it is the start of a trend that is set to continue. But this change is not necessarily the result of our lack of interest in celebrities – it may be more to do with a change in the way in which we are consuming celebrity media…

Celebrity websites can update on the latest gossip far quicker than any magazine that might be a week or more behind – and let’s be honest, seven days is a long time in celebrity land. And with more celebrities connecting with their fans via Twitter it is easier for us to keep up to date with their every move directly, giving us a sense of being closer to this previously ‘untouchable’ world. A further consideration is the matter of truth and untruth involved in celebrity media. Magazines specialising in rumour and gossip may be seen as less credible because Twitter and more recently www.icorrect.com makes it easy for celebrities to correct allegations quickly and easily. As a result, celebrity print media is having to broaden its offering in an attempt to keep up with the celebrity news content by giving readers more unseen and exclusive images and in-depth features.

Though it is evident that there is change afoot with the circulations of these magazines, they still reach out to a massive audience of between 300,000 – 400,000 readers each month so they remain an important player in the consumer media landscape particularly when it comes to celebrity led awareness campaigns.

Celebrity endorsement is still valuable, but as we become increasingly more savvy (and potentially more cynical) about the workings of the celebrity media machine, it becomes even more important for them to be the ‘right fit’ and aligned with your brand or campaign message to ensure their support is believable and not just another example of celebrity fickleness. Additionally, if this is achieved, consumers will be more likely to engage with the message which for disease awareness campaigns is critical.

As for the celebrity magazine industry and their woes about falling circulation figures – maybe the Royal Wedding will help to lift their spirits as it will provide limitless content about a very special celebrity couple that will surely give their sales a welcome boost!

Tags:
Posted in Media Matters | No Comments »

« Older Entries